By Ray Richardson
Contributing Writer
LOS ANGELES – A sold-out venue is expected for one of Michael Lawson’s final appearances as president of the Los Angeles Urban League at the organization’s annual Whitney M. Young Awards Banquet May 18 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel’s International Ballroom.
The honorees will include Paula Madison, a former NBC executive who is now the CEO of Madison Media Management who will receive the Whitney M. Young Jr. Award; Martin Muoto, founder of the SOLA Project, who will receive the Trail Blazer Award; and Sekou Kaalund, executive vice president of US Bank, who will receive the Corporate Partner Award.
The banquet also serves as a celebration of Lawson’s five years of leadership and a reassurance of the organization’s stability.
“This is a culmination of the work we’ve done since I came on board,” Lawson told The Wave. “The goal was to rebuild and put the L.A. Urban League in the position it held when (former President) John Mack was at the helm. I can proudly say we have achieved that goal.”
Mack, who guided the L.A. Urban League for 36 years until 2005, is still revered as a founding father of the organization and the person who helped transform the organization into a civil rights force in the city.
Mack’s ability to raise the L.A. Urban League’s profile led some observers to call his office “the Black Pentagon,” a tribute to the numerous meetings Mack hosted with high-level civic and government leaders in Los Angeles.
Lawson said Mack would be proud of how the L.A. Urban League reached its 930-seat capacity for the awards banquet and attracted major sponsors for the event such as US Bank, American Airlines, First Citizens Bank, America Honda Motor Corporation, Cedar Sinai, the NFL Players Association, Sony Pictures Entertainment and the Smidt Foundation.
The Whitney M. Young Awards Banquet is named in honor of the former National Urban League president, who served in that role from 1961 to 1971. Young was a prominent civil rights activist and fought for equal opportunities for Blacks in the workforce and government.
Past honorees at the Whitney M. Young Awards Banquet include former Lakers’ stars Magic Johnson and Norm Nixon, actors Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Stevie Wonder, Natalie Cole, Byron Allen and CNN commentator Van Jones and numerous celebrities and dignitaries.
Bishop T.D. Jakes will serve as keynote speaker for this year’s banquet. Jakes’ appearance helped the LA Urban League triple its turnout from last year’s event, which was held in an outdoor patio area at the Beverly Hilton. This year’s banquet has been sold out for more than two months.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to say thanks to the people who have helped bring the organization back to where it should be,” Lawson said. “We still have room to grow, but the foundation is there to continue the work that needs to be done to improve financial growth in our community.”
Lawson is planning to stay with the L.A. Urban League until a successor is found. A search committee headed by board member Angela Reddock-Wright, an attorney and labor law mediator, has started the process to conduct a national search. The committee hopes to have a new president in place by the fall.
Lawson said he is unsure of his future plans, although he indicated his desire to stay in public service “in some way.”
“I’m in the process of thinking about my next steps,” Lawson said. “I’ve got a deep bucket list. I still have a lot of work to do. Whatever I decide, I hope to be a part of something where I can have an impact in our community. My decision will be based on that.”
Megan Telles and Chris Schauble of KTLA-TV Channel 5 will co-host the awards banquet.
Ray Richardson is a contributing writer for The Wave. He can be reached at rayrich55@gmail.com.
JUMPHEAD
Urban League banquet will serve as farewell to Lawson
